Chapter 34
“Then I’ll clean this place up,” Hugo said, offering to clean up the mess.
“No, Catarina, you assist Hugo. A young person’s help is required to clean up the burned furniture and carefully inspect for any remaining embers.” Roseline gave the maid orders.
“Yes, ma’am,” Catarina said.
“Then I’ll return to my room. Please contact me if you require my opinion.”
Before turning around and heading back to the main building, Roseline stated the Postenmeyer villa’s garden was expansive, but the road to the main building was straight, making the journey seem shorter than expected.
Roseline was walking towards the main building when she heard a voice calling her name behind her. She turned to face Deborah, who was lowering her head and hunching her shoulders as much as possible.
“Deborah? What exactly is going on?” Roseline inquired.
“Though… thank you for saving my life.” Deborah stuttered and looked down at the floor, unable to make eye contact with Roseline. Roseline gently placed her hand on Deborah’s shoulder, feeling sorry for the young girl. Deborah’s shoulders shook as a result of the touch. Deborah was 14 years old, but her thin body made her look frail.
“You don’t have to thank me; I just did what came naturally,” Roseline told Deborah.
“Thank you… I do,” Deborah said, still in tears.
“I couldn’t have relaxed if I had let you get kicked out; you took care of it for me,” Deborah said gratefully.
Roseline was embarrassed as Deborah continued to cry. Deborah hadn’t meant to thank her, and her attempts to console her had only made her cry harder.
Roseline lowered her posture and hugged Deborah, feeling guilty. “Everything is fine now,” she reassured her.
An aristocrat touching a servant was unusual, but Deborah had never heard of such an aristocrat before. Her new master had rescued her from a predicament, consoled her, and refused to accept her gratitude.
Deborah sobbed for a long time in Roseline’s arms, fearful that her tears would stain Roseline’s high-quality blouse.
“Are you all right now?” Roseline inquired, patting Deborah on the back. Deborah quickly drew away, realizing her actions had been delayed.
“Please accept my apologies, ma’am! Oh, my tear marks on your clothes! What have I done!” Deborah exclaimed, concerned about Roseline’s clothing stains.
“I can change my clothes,” Roseline reassured her as she patted her shoulder to calm her down.
“If you lack power, you are easily taken advantage of in such a situation. Today was a bad day for me,” Roseline explained.
Deborah responded hesitantly, denying Roseline’s words.
“I don’t think that’s why people pointed the finger at me,” Deborah said.
“What exactly do you mean?” Roseline inquired, perplexed.
“Actually, Alfons overheard the servants’ conversation, and as part of it, most of them gossiped about you, but not all of them did,” Deborah elaborated.
“Catarina, I don’t think she’s a bad person,” Deborah added, attempting to make amends. She’d only seen Roseline a few times from afar, but Roseline was always up early and worked hard in the office until late at night. Deborah mistook an elegant lady for the criminal’s daughter, admiring her walking posture and always straight back.
“Perhaps that’s why everyone hated me because I was on your side,” Deborah said, her voice sad.
“…….”
During that brief period spent searching for the arsonist, Deborah was named the perpetrator under tacit consent. It meant that it was assumed from the start.
“I see. I see,” Roseline said, understanding the situation.
“What?” Deborah inquired, perplexed.
Roseline turned around and told Deborah to go to her seat.
“I’ve reduced the butler’s salary, but it’s not just about the butler,” she explained.
First and foremost, the majority of the servants in this mansion were hostile to Roseline. The fire may have influenced their decision, but it was merely a byproduct.
Roseline had a problem with the mansion’s employee policies from the start. She should seize this opportunity to transform it completely.
Roseline called the butler as soon as she returned to the office.
“Hugo, bring me the work schedule for the servants,” Roseline said.
“In the Postenmeyer family, we don’t make work schedules,” Hugo replied.
“Really? So, how do you go about your business?” Roseline inquired, surprised.
“Every servant follows the same routine. They only work in time for you to wake up,” Hugo elaborated.
The servants leave the mansion before sunrise. Roseline stayed in the capital not only now but also when she was in the eastern fiefdom. The owner leaves the house early in the morning and returns late at night, after the sun has set. During the day, when there was no master, the servants’ work was naturally concentrated.
For example, Hugo, the butler, was notified if the servants discovered anything that needed maintenance while cleaning. After reporting it to Melchor, a person in maintenance was called the next day.
Every three days, the bedding was washed. At noon, the servants removed all bedding from all rooms, collected it, washed it, and brought extra sheets to replace it. It took them about an hour and a half to arrive. Roseline remembered a maid coming in at noon and directing her to the drawing room, asking her to leave for a moment. After a long time, the maid who removed her bedding and carried it out would bring new bedding and place it on the bed.
Roseline, who carefully considered Hugo’s words, sighed each time. She realized that the current system could have been more efficient and that something needed to be changed.
“It’s not very efficient,” Roseline said as she considered the current system.
“That is not correct, ma’am. Since the current Grand Duke took over, we have maintained a consistent system,” Hugo defended himself.
“Isn’t it six years? In other words, they previously worked in a different system.” Roseline brought this up.
“Melchor leaves early in the morning and returns late at night. During the end of their working hours, the servants were not present in the mansion,’ she stated.
“Your Excellency’s absence makes no difference. The Postenmeyer family employs us, and we work with pride and sincerity. Johanna, the housekeeper, and I are always on the lookout for people who get the hang of it at work,” Hugo stated.
“How come nothing has changed?” Roseline inquired.
“Because Melchor is not present during the servants’ working hours, you are not required to be considerate of your employer, and this is a system that has been meticulously designed for the benefit of employees,” Roseline explained.
“Particularly at lunchtime. An hour for eating and 30 minutes for resting. It lasts about an hour and a half,” she emphasized.
“Madam, we need that time for the servants’ efficiency,” Hugo explained.
“I’m not talking about sleeping. Everyone is sleeping simultaneously, so everything in the mansion comes to a halt,” Roseline explained.
“We’re having lunch after all of the morning maintenance. The likelihood of something occurring in an hour and a half…” Hugo stated.
“When the fire occurred,” Roseline said about the incident that day. Hugo’s body trembled as he realized the seriousness of the situation.
“Can they respond immediately if there is another unexpected situation?” Roseline inquired, emphasizing her point.
When Roseline pointed out the flaw in their current system, Hugo remained silent. The fire in the kitchen of the annex was started by a few angry servants, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise. On the other hand, Roseline had no reason to be concerned now that everything had been planned and executed.
“According to Melchor, the mansion is the safest place in the capital. However, if it is known that security will be available for an hour and a half, intruders may take advantage of that time,” she stated.
“Madam, such a thing…” Hugo said, at a loss for words.
“The chances are slim. However, if you deal with accidents after they happen, they are always late.” Roseline stressed the importance of being prepared.
Roseline is also aware that the fire was not accidental. She wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to change the system. She left because there was no proper justification, but the servants rebelled on their own, so she could continue the work with ease.
“It is impossible to avoid dealing with an accident simply because it is unlikely to occur. If you lose your vigilance because it is inefficient to plan for what will not happen immediately, the damage will be even greater,” she elaborated.
“Then, on duty, the manpower could work during lunchtime…” Hugo pondered a solution.
“No. It will be a very unpleasant time to work if everyone chooses someone who works during the break. It’s easy to lose sight of your work’s effectiveness,” Roseline explained.
“Do you have any ideas?” Hugo inquired, seeking a solution.
Roseline drew a large circle on a blank piece of paper and divided it into three equal parts.
“Let’s go with a shift system,” she suggested.
There are three times of day: morning, afternoon, and night. At this point, the three-shift employee system was implemented to keep the 24-hour residence open.
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Binge read from the first chapter, and now bookmarked! Can’t wait to see what’s happening and the connection with the Empress. Thanks for translating!!
Are you the one who lost to the count? This Count Wifflepuff is not only suspicious, but terrible at being subtle.
Ooh! I wonder what that reaction means? Does he know about the Empress’antics or is he unaware?